Match-box.



. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-BOX,

Speeiflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed March 2. 1905. semi at. 248,138.

1'0 all/11 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST AUGUST GER- KEN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany,

and residing at Molenbeek-St.-Jean, near Brussels, in the Kingdom ofBelgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMatch-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This lnvention relates to match-boxes, and hasparticular reference tothat matchbox consisting of a shell and a slide, and has for its objectto so. construct it as to allow of the easy separation of one or both ofthe ends of the slide from the body of the latter for the purpose offacilitating the use of the known portable match-box stands, on whichthe boxes are placed in such a manner that the shells are held by thestand so that the ends of the matches protrude'overthe shell.

= -In order that this invention may be the better understood, I nowproceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accm-' panyingdrawin s and to the letters and figures marked t ereon.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved match-box mountedupon the base and-with one end severed to permit access to the containedmatches. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the improved match-box,showing in dotted lines the ositions of the tear-lines and the notches.ig. 3 is a view of the improved match-box. B ig. 4 isa view inerspective of the improved match-box and embodying a singlecentrally-located tear-line. Fig. 5 is a wear in plan of the blank fromwhich the improved match-box shown at Fig. 3 is constructed. Fig. 6 isaview in edge elevation of the blank with the tear-lines folded andshowing their formation.

Like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The match-box forming the subject-matter of the present inventionconsists, essentially, of a slide member, which for convenience instorage and transportation is usually inclosed within an outing casingor shell 10, proportioned to engage upon the usual and ordinary base,(shown at 11,) provlded with an upstanding portion 12 for insertion intoone open end of theshell 10.

The slide member comprises a substantiall y rectangular box-like portioncomposed of any approved sheet material, as paper or wood veneer, andshown in the blank at 13. The blank is provided transversely with folds14, extending internally'of the boxand breaking down the fibers of thematerial and weakemn the structure upon the lines of the folds. The oxmay be provided with any number of such folds, two folds being shown inFig. 3 and a single central fold shown in Fig. 4. To facilitate therupture, of the material at the fOldS-' 14, notches 15 are provided,which when the blank is folded are positioned at opposite edges of thebox and registering, and the box and notches are usually covered by athin or easily-ruptured sheet of paper or similar material, as 16, whichis pasted or otherwise secured over the open side of the box and foldedor otherwise secured at the ends, as shown at 17'. In the constructionof the slide. or box from the blank shown at Fig. 6 the side portionsare folded upon the dotted lines 18, while the end portions are foldedmitting the stiff and semi-inflexible material to be'folded at thecorners.

In operation the box so formed and closed by the sheet of material 16,which may be I formed impervious to moisture-is disposed within theshell 10 and in such position and condition may be stored or shipped. inany ordinary climate, and the matches therein contained. are notsubjected. to deterioration on. account of the atmospheric conditions.When the contained matches are to be used, thecovering material 16 maybe, of course, torn away and the matches used from the tended to be usedin connection with the base 11, whereby the slide is forced upwardly outof the shell 10 by the upstandim portion 12, so that the portion of thebox above the u per tear-line 14 extends above the shell. 7 n thatposition the top portion is easily fractured along the upper line of thefold 14, and the top portion will remain as a cover (shown in Fig. 1) ormay be removed entirely, as circumstances may make desirable.

What I claim is.

upon the dotted lines 19, the notches 20 per- 'open side of the box; butthe device is in-' In a match-box, the combination of a shell IOOadapted to be supported on a base, a sliding In testimony whereof I havesigned my tray polygonal in cross-section, proportioned name to thisspecification in the presence of to to fifnthe shell andcliqidedftransversely by in I two subscribing Witnesses.

war yro'ecting 0 ds 0 the material an i T opposit ly disposed notcheslocated in the ERNST AUGUST-GERKEA' top edges of the sliding tray, endleading to Witnesses:

the folds whereby a portion of the sliding A. GRAETZ,

tray may be easily removed. GREGORY PHELAN.

